Energy Saving Tips in the Home

The Energy Saving Trust has come up with a list of new tips for saving energy in the home.
Research has showed that most people now know about usual tips. Turning the thermostat down, recycling and boiling what you need is old news, and many people are doing these things already so they think that’s it, job done.

But as we know, there’s so much more you can do!

Stop wasting energy in the kitchen

1. Always use the right sized pan for the job
2. Use the right sized hob ring for each pan
3. Defrost food in the fridge overnight rather than microwaving it
4. Keep the oven door shut as much as possible; make sure the glass door is clean so you can see what’s going on. Every time you open the door you lose 20°C of heat.
5. Keep lids on pans as much as you can, to reduce the energy lost through evaporation.
6. Food cooks more efficiently in ovens where air can flow freely. Avoid putting foil on the racks and make sure there is room between pans.
7. Ensure warm foods cool down before placing them in the fridge.
8. Cutting food into smaller pieces often speeds up the cooking time
9. Freeze your leftovers. Wasted food makes a big contribution towards CO2 emissions.
10. Use a microwave to cook or reheat food where possible as this is a much more efficient method of cooking
11. Only boil the water you need in your kettle and de-scale it from time to time
12. Defrost your freezer regularly to make it run more efficiently
13. Cooking big batches of food at once is more energy efficient. Storing spare portions in the freezer gives you a supply of ready meals.
14. Make sure you keep the microwave oven door clean so you can see what’s going on without having to open the door.
15. Covering food with a microwave-safe lid or pierced cling film will hold moisture and speed up cooking times.
16. If you are considering buying a new fridge or freezer, look out for the Energy Saving Recommended logo.  All Energy Saving Recommended appliances are guaranteed to be among the most energy-efficient available on the market – saving energy and reducing running costs.
17. Make sure air can circulate around the back of your fridge and freezer
18. Don’t keep the fridge or freezer door open for longer than necessary.
19. Try not to put the fridge or freezer next to a heat source such as a cooker or radiator, or in direct sunlight.
20. Check what you have in the fridge and freezer before you go shopping. Wasted food is a big contributor towards carbon dioxide emissions
21. If you are buying a new dishwasher, look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo, this is your guarantee that you are buying one of the most energy efficient machines available.
22. If you are considering buying a dishwasher, choose a machine that is correctly sized for your needs – if you have a small household, consider a slimline or compact machine whereas a large family may be better suited to a full-sized washer.
23. Make sure you have a full load before you use the machine - a half load setting usually uses more than half the energy of a full load
24. Use the eco setting wherever possible
25. Always remember to switch appliances off standby when you’ve finished using them.

Stop wasting energy in your living room

1. Draw the curtains at dusk to keep the heat in
2. Make sure items that are not in use are unplugged (when was the last time you used your video recorder?!)
3. Only turn on the lights you need and/or consider organising task lighting.
4. Don’t leave things on standby (this could save as much as £37 per year)
5. Shut the doors to keep the heat in
6. Consider putting on an extra layer before turning up the heating
7. Clear a space around your plug sockets to make it easy to turn items off at the mains or consider purchasing a standby saving device.
8. Energy efficient light bulbs save on average around £3 a year each
9. Put your digital recorder on a separate plug socket so you can turn off everything else at the mains but keep your series link recordings
10. If you are going on holiday, switch off your television and set-top box at the plug
11. If you are thinking about buying a new TV, look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo – this is your guarantee that the appliance you buy is among the most energy efficient on the market.  All Energy Saving Recommended TVs have integrated digital tuners so they do not require a separate set-top box.
12. Remember that the energy consumption of your TV is strongly linked to the screen-size – if you are thinking about buying a new TV think carefully about how big a screen you actually need. Smaller TVs are also generally cheaper to buy.
13. If you are using your television to access digital radio, it is more energy efficient to opt for a blank screen. Better still, get a digital radio instead.
14. Get into the habit of turning off the television at the socket and not leaving it on standby. You can buy mains controllers which do this by remote control.
15. If you currently have a separate set-top box, or digital recorder, put your television on a different socket so that you can turn the TV off at the mains without disrupting any series link recordings.
16. Make sure the brightness setting on your TV is suitable for your room. The brighter the TV is set, the more energy it uses, and the factory settings on TVs are almost always set to maximum so that the picture has maximum impact on display in retail outlets.
17. Consider investing in an intelligent mains controller so that all the equipment linked to your TV (video recorder, DVD player, games controllers etc) are automatically switched off whenever the TV is turned off.
18. If you don’t want to purchase a controller, clear a space around your plug sockets to make it easier to turn items off at the mains, or invest in an individually switched extension lead.
19. If you are replacing old TVs or other electrical equipment, dispose of it in a way that means it can be recycled, rather than sending it to landfill.  Whenever you buy new electrical appliances, the retailer is obliged under legislation introduced in 2007 to either take back the old equipment, or tell you where you can take it to recycle it.  You can also find out where to recycle electrical equipment locally by ringing the council, or using the “Bank Locator” search tool on the Recycle-more.co.uk website.
20. Only turn your recording device when it’s needed
21. If you no longer use your video recorder, make sure it isn’t still consuming electricity – remember if there’s a light on, it must still be drawing power.

Washing tips

Tips for reducing the energy costs of your tumble dryer

1. If you are considering buying a new tumble-dryer, look out for the Energy Saving Recommended logo – this guarantees that you are buying one of the most energy efficient appliances available on the market.  All Energy Saving Recommended dryers are either A or B rated for energy efficiency or have an electronic sensor system to ensure the clothes are not dried for longer than necessary.
2. Make the most of dry weather to line-dry your clothes outside, both in the summer and in the winter.
3. Dry similar fabrics together to speed drying times.
4. Don’t overfill the dryer; it needs space for the clothes to move to operate efficiently.
5. Spin your clothes on the washing machine’s highest spin cycle before putting them in the tumble dryer.
6. If you have a washer/dryer make sure you don’t accidentally use the tumble dryer function when you don’t need it.
7. Make sure your tumble dryer’s filters are fluff free.
8. Only use the tumble dryer when it is full. One full load uses less energy than two half loads.
9. Don’t dry for longer than needed – it wastes energy.
10. Switch your tumble dryer off at the plug socket when not in use.
11. Sort out the cleaned clothes to make sure only the ones that need to be tumble dried get included on the drying cycle. Try to wash clothes that you know you will want to tumble dry in the same load, so that you can hopefully avoid having to do a dry after every load of washing.

Tips for reducing the energy costs of your washing machine

1. If you are thinking of buying a new washing machine, look out for the Energy Saving Recommended logo – this guarantees that the appliance you buy is in the top 20% of the market for energy efficiency.  All Energy Saving Recommended washing machines are A-rated for energy efficiency, spin efficiency and wash performance.
2. Washing clothes at 30 degrees rather than higher temperatures will save around 40% of the energy used each year. Modern washing powders and detergents work just as effectively at lower temperatures so unless you have very dirty washing, bear this in mind.
3. Wash similar items together, so that you minimise the number of washes you do have to do at higher temperatures
4. Wait until you have a full load before putting on a wash - two half-loads use more energy than a single full load.
5. Make sure the machine is turned off when not in use and does not have any red lights left on
6. Try to minimise unnecessary washing by hanging up clothes to air after using them so you can get the maximum use out of each item before needing to wash it.
7. Line-dry clothes whenever possible, especially during the summer months, but also on dry winter days – your clothes will feel and smell fresher too.
8. If you tumble dry your wet laundry, choosing a wash cycle with a higher final spin speed will mean your clothes are already drier when you take them out of the washing machine and will need less time in the tumble-dryer.
9. Hang clothes up straight away after drying them so they will need less ironing.

Tips for reducing the energy costs of your washer dryer

1. Wait until you have a full load before putting on a wash - two half-loads use     more energy than a single full load.
2.  Line-dry clothes whenever possible, especially during the summer months, but also on dry winter days – your clothes will feel and smell fresher too.
3. Sort out the cleaned clothes to make sure only the ones that need to be tumble dried get included on the drying cycle. Check the capacity of the dryer cycle – if it’s the same as the washing cycle, try to wash clothes that you will want to tumble dry together in the same load, so that you can hopefully avoid having to do a dry after every load of washing.
4. Improve the quality of the washing and drying by performing the regular maintenance suggested in the manual, such as cleaning out the dispenser drawer and lint filter.
5. When you do use the drier function, choose a wash cycle with a higher final spin speed so that more water is removed from the clothes during spinning and they need less time in the drying cycle. Spinning clothes does not consume much energy
6. Don’t over dry clothes – it wastes energy.
7. Make sure the machine is turned off when not in use and there are no red lights left on.

Stop wasting energy in the bathroom

1. A quick shower will use less energy than taking a bath
2. Fix any dripping taps
3. Put a water conservation device in the toilet cistern
4. Don’t leave your electric toothbrush on permanent charge
5. Check that your fan is only set for the time needed to clear condensation and smells from the bathroom
6. Energy saving lightbulbs save on average around £3 a year each
7. Turn off the tap when you are cleaning your teeth. A running tap wastes up to 6 litres of water a minute.*
8. Invest in a shower timer to help you see how long you spend in the shower – shorter showers use less energy
9. Make sure you’ve turned off the light when you leave the room

Extra hot water tips

1. Power showers can easily use as much water as taking a bath – consider fitting an aerated or low-flow showerhead to cut down water use.
2. Don’t leave the taps running continuously while you shave or wash your face – fill the basin or just turn the taps on when you need them.
3. If you have a hot water tank, try to set your programmer to best match the times of day when you need hot water, this minimises having to heat outside your pre-set times.

* - Source: Waterwise

Stop wasting energy in the hallway

1. Fit draft excluders around the front door and over the letter box and key hole
2. Putting a curtain over the front door helps keeps the draughts out
3. Get into the habit of closing all the doors to keep the heat in each room
4. Fitting energy saving bulbs saves on average around £3 per bulb per year however hallway lights are normally used much more than the average so fitting an energy saving bulb here can save around £6 per year.
5. Draw the curtains at dusk to keep the heat in and the draughts out
6. Don’t leave the front door open more than necessary

Stop wasting energy in the dining room

1. Serve food straight to plates and you wont have to wash up serving plates and spoons
2. Candles make the room more intimate and cut down on the need to use electric lights
3. Draw the curtains at dusk to keep the heat in and the draughts out
4. Don’t forget the room will heat up if you are having guests round so don’t go mad with the heating
5. Don’t overdo the catering, wasted food makes a significant contribution towards carbon dioxide emissions
6. Warm the plates in the oven as it cools down after your food has cooked.
7. Make sure the lights are turned off when you leave the room
8. When boiling water, only fill the kettle as much as you need – but make sure you cover the metal element at the base.
9. Try turning your dimmer switches down to reduce the amount of energy used to light your room.
10. Energy saving lightbulbs will last longer and save you money over the longer term, and you don’t have to worry about how they look. Technology has moved on a lot since energy saving lightbulbs were first invented, and so has the way they look. Whatever types of bulbs you use to light your home, there are sure to be stylish energy saving equivalents. They range from stick shaped bulbs and candle shaped varieties, with small or medium screw and bayonet fittings and there are even halogen and dimmable energy saving bulbs on the market.

Stop wasting energy in the bedroom

1. Use the right tog duvet for the weather (low tog in summer and high tog in winter) to avoid having to use the heating (or air conditioning) unnecessarily.
2. Draw curtains at dusk to keep the heat in for when you go to bed
3. Wear socks to bed in cold weather to keep toasty
4. Towel dry your hair thoroughly to cut down the time you’ll have to use your hairdryer for.
5. Use a hot water bottle to warm the bed up, rather than an electric blanket.
6. Make sure all the lights are turned off when you go to bed, or use a low wattage night light if you do need to leave one on
7. Don’t leave your phone on charge all night – it only needs a couple of hours
8. During winter, set the heating to switch off a while before you go to bed – that way it’ll be nice and warm as you get ready for bed but the heating wont stay on unnecessarily once you’re tucked up.
9. Likewise set it to switch on a bit before you wake up but you don’t need it to stay switched on all the way up to when you leave the house.
10. Keep extra blankets by the bed so you can easily adjust your temperature during the night.
11. Invest in draught excluders for the bedroom door to keep the heat in your room during the night.

Children’s bedrooms

1. A TV, DVD player, computer and PS3 will cost around £40 to run over the course of a year – but it could be far higher if they are left on when not in use. Encourage your children to turn off equipment at the socket by making it easy to get to the switch.    
2. Draw curtains at dusk to keep the heat in and the draughts out
3. Get into the habit of keeping doors closed
4. Think about what you are putting on extension sockets to make sure you aren’t powering something that is not in use
5. Think about “losing” the remote control to the television to reduce the temptation to leave it on standby
6. If you are thinking about buying a new computer, a new laptop typically uses around 85% less energy than a new desktop computer (and takes up less room)